From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Thread: 103376,73cb216d191f0fef X-Google-NewGroupId: yes X-Google-Attributes: gida07f3367d7,domainid0,public,usenet X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Received: by 10.180.183.84 with SMTP id ek20mr1110144wic.0.1363382578766; Fri, 15 Mar 2013 14:22:58 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 From: "Randy Brukardt" Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Is this expected behavior or not Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2013 16:22:55 -0500 Organization: Jacob Sparre Andersen Research & Innovation Message-ID: References: <8klywqh2pf$.1f949flc1xeia.dlg@40tude.net> <513f6e2f$0$6572$9b4e6d93@newsspool3.arcor-online.net> <513faaf7$0$6626$9b4e6d93@newsspool2.arcor-online.net> <51408e81$0$6577$9b4e6d93@newsspool3.arcor-online.net> <1xqmd3386hvns.1og1uql2cgnuf$.dlg@40tude.net> <5140b812$0$6575$9b4e6d93@newsspool3.arcor-online.net> <13y3efy877tjl$.5yuu230sknnq$.dlg@40tude.net> <927dfd51-e4b1-45af-9d51-57c167e84890@googlegroups.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: static-69-95-181-76.mad.choiceone.net X-Trace: munin.nbi.dk 1363382577 9034 69.95.181.76 (15 Mar 2013 21:22:57 GMT) X-Complaints-To: news@jacob-sparre.dk NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2013 21:22:57 +0000 (UTC) X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.5931 X-RFC2646: Format=Flowed; Original X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.6157 Path: bp2ni94324wib.1!nntp.google.com!proxad.net!feeder1-2.proxad.net!feed.ac-versailles.fr!news.ecp.fr!news.jacob-sparre.dk!munin.jacob-sparre.dk!pnx.dk!.POSTED!not-for-mail Date: 2013-03-15T16:22:55-05:00 List-Id: "Adam Beneschan" wrote in message news:927dfd51-e4b1-45af-9d51-57c167e84890@googlegroups.com... >On Thursday, March 14, 2013 2:51:11 PM UTC-7, Randy Brukardt wrote: > >> No one cares about that. You don't need to know about the laws of >> thermodynamics to operate a caase, > >Are you sure about this? Personally, I don't know how to operate a caase, >and I couldn't find any instructions on the >Internet about how to use a >caase, or how to repair a caase, or for that matter even what a caase is. > >Sorry--I'm sure this is a typo but I can't figure out what you meant to >say. :) The word was "car", and how it turned into "caase" will be an enduring mystery. >> and you don't need to know anything about >> type-algebras or other such baloney to program in a programming language. >> And it's the use of a programming language - not theories - that >> determines >> whether or not the language is truly usable. >To my mind, the only reason to talk about abstract data types at all is >that there are practical reasons >why it's helpful for programmers to understand and think about them, and >those practical reasons have >to do with things like reusability, readability, and all that good stuff >that helps us write correct programs >and keep them correct. Programming language design involves trying to >figure out what concepts, what >syntaxes, etc., serve those goals. I don't see mathematics as being much >help with this. The sciences >that would help here seem to be more akin to psychology. Exactly. Thanks for expanding on my point. Too many languages are designed based on theory rather than usability. Theory might be useful for academics to classify languages, but that's about it (and the value of that exercise is dubious). Randy.